Multiple sheds
Discussion
Couple moved in nearby a month or so back. Mid/late 30s with couple of very small kids. He drives, I've not seen her drive at all. They have a garage and a driveway. But they currently have 3 cars. Parked all on the street. Now they are all taxed so whilst it does make it hard work for everyone else they aren't breaking any laws so tough ultimately.
But the thing that confuses is all 3 are sheds. There's a battered Y reg Ford which judging from this morning has quite a few fundamental issues. Like he couldn't get into the thing! There's the Rover with 2 flat tyres and an 80s Renault which has obviously got a severe water ingress issue judging from the condensation build up inside. I've not seen any of them move in the last couple weeks.
They are clearly costing money in terms of insurance and tax and mot. I could understand if 1 car was the garage queen. Lots of people have a nice/rare car and a daily. But none of these are likely to be desirable. They are just ordinary versions, not hot hatches or rarities.
So why do people keep these cars and not just get rid? Anyone here admit to owning several cars just for the hell of it?
But the thing that confuses is all 3 are sheds. There's a battered Y reg Ford which judging from this morning has quite a few fundamental issues. Like he couldn't get into the thing! There's the Rover with 2 flat tyres and an 80s Renault which has obviously got a severe water ingress issue judging from the condensation build up inside. I've not seen any of them move in the last couple weeks.
They are clearly costing money in terms of insurance and tax and mot. I could understand if 1 car was the garage queen. Lots of people have a nice/rare car and a daily. But none of these are likely to be desirable. They are just ordinary versions, not hot hatches or rarities.
So why do people keep these cars and not just get rid? Anyone here admit to owning several cars just for the hell of it?
SV8Predator said:
I wonder if he's posting on an internet forum about the things that you do that annoy him?
Probably not though, he's more that likely minding his own business.
Well done for missing the fProbably not though, he's more that likely minding his own business.
king point! 
Of course it's up to him what he spends money on. Where did I say otherwise? He's not a bad neighbour, so it's not a problem.
I just find it curious why you'd own multiple cars. Which apparently only 1 potentially moves. and are all virtually worthless. I can kindof see the sentimentally angle. But I don't subscribe to that, any car is just a lump of metal and plastic. People that say "Oh I kept the 1.8 Sierra because it was my dads" maybe have other issues to address
Move on for gawds sake.I guess it's the same thing that people put cars into barns and leave them there forever.
When. I go away I leave my cars and the gfs car at her parents my parents and my sisters so they can keep an eye on em, and on the older ones my old mum will take it for a spin once in a while. Perhaps he's doing that for someone or juggling old bangers that were given to him until one needs retiring.
My neighbours must be confused by my jimny, sits for weeks at a time not moving
My neighbours must be confused by my jimny, sits for weeks at a time not moving
juan king said:
So when one is broken you can still use the other presumably.
But surely it's cheaper to spend the money ensuring one car is working well? I think I get the OPs point, seems pointless. Also, I know they are T&T so 'he can park them where he likes', but it's rather inconsiderate if his motivation really is to have 1 in 3 cars working at any given time. Parking heaps along the road is the quickest way not to be invited for neighbourly drinks or expect people to keep an eye on the house whilst one is away. I know many people simply don't care about this (a lot post on PH), but I like being a good neighbour - it's one of the surest ways to ensure you have good neighbours.
My neighbour is exactly the same. 3 cars at the moment and only 2 drivers and all of them sheds. They have almost always had 3 cars in all the years i have lived here. There is usually one at the bottom of the drive that they have killed, it sits there for about 6 or so months until it starts to become part of the garden furniture and used to place things on like bits of wood, broken paddling pool etc etc. Its a bit like a mortuary for cars.
Eventually it gets taken away by a scrap dealer only to be shortly replaced with another car they have shagged and the cycle continues. They do always like to talk about how much money they save buying sheds and running them into the ground but i doubt it really is that cost effective considering i have had the same car for the last 8 years and they have gone through 9 cars in this time......
Eventually it gets taken away by a scrap dealer only to be shortly replaced with another car they have shagged and the cycle continues. They do always like to talk about how much money they save buying sheds and running them into the ground but i doubt it really is that cost effective considering i have had the same car for the last 8 years and they have gone through 9 cars in this time......
My neighbour is exactly the same. 3 cars at the moment and only 2 drivers and all of them sheds. They have almost always had 3 cars in all the years i have lived here. There is usually one at the bottom of the drive that they have killed, it sits there for about 6 or so months until it starts to become part of the garden furniture and used to place things on like bits of wood, broken paddling pool etc etc. Its a bit like a mortuary for cars.
Eventually it gets taken away by a scrap dealer only to be shortly replaced with another car they have shagged and the cycle continues. They do always like to talk about how much money they save buying sheds and running them into the ground but i doubt it really is that cost effective considering i have had the same car for the last 8 years and they have gone through 9 cars in this time......
Eventually it gets taken away by a scrap dealer only to be shortly replaced with another car they have shagged and the cycle continues. They do always like to talk about how much money they save buying sheds and running them into the ground but i doubt it really is that cost effective considering i have had the same car for the last 8 years and they have gone through 9 cars in this time......
RedAlfa said:
His business . As long as they are legal and not blocking the road .... what's the problem? .
. As long as they are legal and not blocking the road .... what's the problem? .
Matt UK said:
...
Also, I know they are T&T so 'he can park them where he likes', but it's rather inconsiderate if his motivation really is to have 1 in 3 cars working at any given time. Parking heaps along the road is the quickest way not to be invited for neighbourly drinks or expect people to keep an eye on the house whilst one is away. I know many people simply don't care about this (a lot post on PH), but I like being a good neighbour - it's one of the surest ways to ensure you have good neighbours.
Also, I know they are T&T so 'he can park them where he likes', but it's rather inconsiderate if his motivation really is to have 1 in 3 cars working at any given time. Parking heaps along the road is the quickest way not to be invited for neighbourly drinks or expect people to keep an eye on the house whilst one is away. I know many people simply don't care about this (a lot post on PH), but I like being a good neighbour - it's one of the surest ways to ensure you have good neighbours.
Some people don't like being in debt/ having credit?
We got 5 cars, 2x mk2 Astras (GTE 16V and 1.3L), Wife's 1.2 Nova, Mk4 Astra and a Saab 900 turbo.
So the newest is 15 years and they do stand out a bit; they're the oldest in the road by a good margin. But they 'owe' nothing and we can afford to walk away from any (and all!) at a moment's notice.
Plus I know the Vauxhalls inside out and, unless they're in bits for a bit of resto, they're never usually broken. And in the rare time one did fail in service it was fixed within 30 mins of getting it back home.
Ironically we have the most cars in one household, but not one lives on the road!
We got 5 cars, 2x mk2 Astras (GTE 16V and 1.3L), Wife's 1.2 Nova, Mk4 Astra and a Saab 900 turbo.
So the newest is 15 years and they do stand out a bit; they're the oldest in the road by a good margin. But they 'owe' nothing and we can afford to walk away from any (and all!) at a moment's notice.
Plus I know the Vauxhalls inside out and, unless they're in bits for a bit of resto, they're never usually broken. And in the rare time one did fail in service it was fixed within 30 mins of getting it back home.
Ironically we have the most cars in one household, but not one lives on the road!
OP, my old man did something similar when we were younger. He kept three cars of similar type during the 1980's. Kept one "just in case" or for skip trips?! Taxed, tested all. The cars all started in decent enough condition but deteriorated. He even kept two before my mother could even drive. Both newer cars went out daily. But he couldn't afford to maintain any of them properly. Only the newest was close to reliable. The third always had a flat battery if ever it was needed! I remember him swapping the newer wheels of one, on to the rusty rims and worn tyres of the shedest (that a word?) just to it get through the MOT.
But when the oldest two eventually died/failed the MOT he couldn't bring himself to scrap them. But saw fit to replace both, even though we didn't need three, without scrapping in the old cars, as you had to pay then. So at one point we had five cars outside our house. All lined up in row. One was a rust failure on the MOT and SORN. One had no engine, which was removed when it failed, but for some reason the car was towed back home SORN. The then the shed was the old good car which also sat mostly not working. It stayed as my brother was now 17 but being odd, didn't want to learn to drive, despite being insured on the shed car. Never understood why but it wasn't expensive at the time. Then we had the two newer daily drivers which were again of similar type to each other so the part swapping could continue.
After what seemed forever at the time the two utter sheds were eventually given away to the local college mechanic school, but essentially we only kept them so long because my father is a total hoarder. Being young I could only be embarrassed by it all and bullied by my mates about it. It must have been horrific for the neighbours, and we were on a fairly busy road and I know our house became a bit of a local joke with five cars all from the same manufacturer looking like a crap dealership.
Its quite odd writing about it, but I suppose it answers your question OP. Some people (my old man) just can't get rid of things. He did have debts at the time but through sheer stubbornness/pride would not admit failure nor see the errors of his ways. There was no logic in it whatsoever and to this day he won't admit this and defends it fiercely.
Once down to three and my brother and I learning to drive and going off to uni it all suddenly made some sense to have three! My mother had stopped driving due to health problems so it worked out in the end. The mental old man eventually saw sense and sorted out the cars. He traded his shed in when he brought a new car, let me sell his old daily (which was kept obviously)for a few hundred quid one weekend. Then a few months before my 17th he brought me and my brother an old German car which I liked very much, and enjoyed low cost insurance thanks to multi years no claims earned from the old shed. However the amount of cash wasted running those old sheds still haunts me today.
But when the oldest two eventually died/failed the MOT he couldn't bring himself to scrap them. But saw fit to replace both, even though we didn't need three, without scrapping in the old cars, as you had to pay then. So at one point we had five cars outside our house. All lined up in row. One was a rust failure on the MOT and SORN. One had no engine, which was removed when it failed, but for some reason the car was towed back home SORN. The then the shed was the old good car which also sat mostly not working. It stayed as my brother was now 17 but being odd, didn't want to learn to drive, despite being insured on the shed car. Never understood why but it wasn't expensive at the time. Then we had the two newer daily drivers which were again of similar type to each other so the part swapping could continue.
After what seemed forever at the time the two utter sheds were eventually given away to the local college mechanic school, but essentially we only kept them so long because my father is a total hoarder. Being young I could only be embarrassed by it all and bullied by my mates about it. It must have been horrific for the neighbours, and we were on a fairly busy road and I know our house became a bit of a local joke with five cars all from the same manufacturer looking like a crap dealership.
Its quite odd writing about it, but I suppose it answers your question OP. Some people (my old man) just can't get rid of things. He did have debts at the time but through sheer stubbornness/pride would not admit failure nor see the errors of his ways. There was no logic in it whatsoever and to this day he won't admit this and defends it fiercely.
Once down to three and my brother and I learning to drive and going off to uni it all suddenly made some sense to have three! My mother had stopped driving due to health problems so it worked out in the end. The mental old man eventually saw sense and sorted out the cars. He traded his shed in when he brought a new car, let me sell his old daily (which was kept obviously)for a few hundred quid one weekend. Then a few months before my 17th he brought me and my brother an old German car which I liked very much, and enjoyed low cost insurance thanks to multi years no claims earned from the old shed. However the amount of cash wasted running those old sheds still haunts me today.
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